By adding £1 to their bill when visiting participating restaurants

As the bitterly cold winter sets in, diners visiting participating restaurants in Chiswick including Duke of Sussex, Napa Restaurant, Sam's Brasserie & Bar and Villandry Kitchen are asked to add £1 to their bill, as part of StreetSmart’s campaign to help the homeless.

StreetSmart provides much needed emergency funding to 88 homelessness charities across 18 cities, from Edinburgh to Brighton with the help of over 500 fantastic restaurants.

StreetSmart ensures that the money raised is reinvested in the local area and benefits local charities, helping to shelter and feed the homeless during the cold winter months. Charities receive between £500 and £15,000, depending on the project to be funded. Local charities set to benefit from StreetSmart grants include Spear and West London Churches.

Spear works with homeless and vulnerable people in Richmond. Besides operating a 12 bed hostel, the charity offers a range of services including street outreach, tenancy support, rent deposit, drug and alcohol misuse and skills development. A StreetSmart grant will be used to fund the skills development service, which encourages participants to engage daytime activities and hobbies that may eventually lead to a volunteering, educational or employment opportunity.

West London Churches run a winter night shelter for the homeless in seven different churces across west London. The shelter provides 35 bed spaces every night between November and April. A hot meal, advice and support are provided. A StreetSmart grant will be put towards the general running costs of the project.

StreetSmart raised a staggering £455,000 in 2009 and now in its 13th year will be building on this success. Every penny raised goes directly towards helping the homeless, as all administration costs are covered by StreetSmart’s generous sponsor, Deutsche Bank.

Glenn Pougnet, Director of StreetSmart says, “Despite the recent economic downturn, StreetSmart has seen an increase in donations, proving that UK diners are still willing to give generously this time of year, when they know their money is being put to good use locally.”

For a full list of StreetSmart restaurants to make a donation or for more information see StreetSmart.org.uk

November 29, 2010